JPH11107261A - Air curtain attached oil fence and flowing oil collecting system by making use thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically collect oil flowing to the sea with high efficiency. SOLUTION: A shut sea area 20 is formed around flowing and drifting oil (b), at the same time, an oil fence 3 is stretched by an oil fence stretching ship so as to open a suction inlet 5b of a collection pipe 5 in an oil collection ship 2 to the shut sea area 20, an air curtain 4 is formed of a jetting bubble group of compressed air supplied from a compressor 10 inside the oil fence 3, a secondary current (a) directed to the suction inlet 5b by the air curtain 4 is generated in the shut sea area 20, the flowing and drifting oil (b) is made to flow into the suction inlet 5b together with sea water with the said secondary current (a), and upper layer concentrated contaminated water (c) automatically separated by the collection pipe 5 is stored in a collection tank 13 with a collection pump 12. By the constitution, oil collection can be automatically made with high efficiency.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for collecting oil spilled over the sea and an oil fence for use in the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, oil that has flowed out onto the sea surface or the like is collected by using a bucket or the like while covering with an oil fence or the like to prevent diffusion.

[0003]

However, the conventional oil recovery as described above has a problem that it is extremely inefficient and requires a great deal of labor. The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and forms an enclosed sea area by surrounding oil spilled on the sea with an oil fence, and forms an air curtain formed by an air curtain forming means provided on the oil fence. A curtain is used to generate a secondary flow in one direction in the closed sea area, and the secondary flow gathers outflow oil at one location to improve oil recovery efficiency.

[0004]

An oil fence with an air curtain according to the present invention is an oil fence that can be extended so as to surround an oil spilled over the sea so as to form a closed sea area around the oil. An air curtain forming means capable of generating a secondary water flow in one direction is provided on the oil fence to solve the problem.

Further, the oil spill recovery system of the present invention recovers the oil together with seawater from the closed sea area formed by the oil fence expansion ship capable of expanding the oil fence with the air curtain and the oil fence with the air curtain. With a possible oil recovery vessel, the oil recovery vessel has a suction opening that opens to the closed sea area and a recovery cylinder that has a bottom opening, and can pump out the oil that is freely separated inside the recovery cylinder. A recovery pump and a recovery tank capable of storing the oil recovered by the recovery pump are provided as means for solving the problem.

[0006] In the present invention, an air curtain provided on the oil fence generates a secondary water flow in one direction in a closed sea area surrounded by the oil fence, and the secondary water flow causes the outflow drifting oil in the closed sea area. Is collected at one location, i.e., at the suction port of the recovery cylinder of the oil recovery vessel, and flows together with seawater.

On the other hand, the oil and seawater that have flowed into the recovery cylinder of the oil recovery vessel undergo free separation due to the action of being pushed into the recovery cylinder, and are separated into concentrated contaminated water in the upper layer and lower seawater, resulting in large density. Seawater flows out of the system through the bottom opening of the recovery cylinder. On the other hand, the concentrated contaminated water in the upper layer of the recovery cylinder is lifted by a recovery pump provided on the oil recovery ship and stored in a recovery tank of the ship.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an oil fence with an air curtain and an oil spill recovery system using the oil fence according to an embodiment of the present invention. A- of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view as seen from the direction of arrows A in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 3 denotes a (general) oil fence, and the oil fence 3 is mounted on an oil fence expansion ship 1 and transported to an oil spill drift site. Reference numeral 2 denotes an oil recovery boat, and the oil recovery boat 2 is provided with a cylindrical recovery tank 5 having a bottom opening 5a. The recovery tank 5 is opened at the top, and a suction port 5 b projecting rearward from the stern 2 a of the oil recovery boat 2 is provided eccentrically in the horizontal direction with respect to the axis of the recovery tank 5.

The oil recovery boat 2 is further provided with a recovery pump 12 for pumping the concentrated contaminated water c (detailed later) in the upper part of the recovery cylinder 5 and a recovery tank 13 for storing the discharge water of the recovery pump 12. Have been.

After the oil fence spreading boat 1 arrives at the oil spill drift site, the oil fence 3 is continuously connected after one end thereof is connected to one end of the suction port 5b of the oil recovery boat 2. While being dropped onto the sea, it is extended by the oil fence spreading boat 1 so as to surround the outflow drifting oil b, and the other end is connected to the other end of the suction port 5b, whereby the outflow drifting oil b is discharged. A ring-shaped closed sea area 20 is formed around the oil fence, and an oil fence extended state in which the suction port 5b is opened is formed in the closed sea area 20.

An attitude stabilizing buoy 6 is connected to a closed sea area 20 side of the annularly extended oil fence 3 by a connection fitting 9, and the buoy 6 is provided with a large number of hard rubber air ejection holes. High-pressure hose 8 is connected by a wire 7.

That is, compressed air is supplied to the high-pressure hose 8 from the compressor 10 provided on the oil recovery boat 2 via the tube 11, and the compressed air is formed into a group of air bubbles from many air ejection holes of the high-pressure hose 8. The air is blown out to form the air curtain 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the high-pressure hose 8 is provided in a substantially semicircular portion of the expanded oil fence 3 on the side facing the suction port 5b. Then, an air curtain 4 formed by a group of air bubbles ejected from a large number of air ejection holes formed in the high-pressure hose 8 collides with the side surface of the oil fence 3, and a large number of secondary water flows a toward the suction port 5b are closed. Occurs at 20.

The secondary water flow a causes the closed sea area 20
The drifting oil b flowing out of the inside is guided to the suction port 5b (arrow Y) and flows into the collection cylinder 5 together with seawater. The oil and seawater that have flowed into the recovery cylinder 5 undergo free separation due to the action of being pushed into the recovery cylinder 5, and are separated into concentrated contaminated water c in the upper layer and lower seawater.

Since the suction port 5b is provided eccentrically with respect to the collection cylinder 5, the mixed liquid of oil and seawater flowing into the collection cylinder 5 rotates in the collection cylinder 5 (indicated by an arrow e).
However, the centrifugal action by this rotation also contributes to the separation of the upper contaminated water and the lower seawater. Then, the seawater having a high density flows out of the system from the bottom opening 5a of the recovery cylinder 5. The symbol d indicates outflow seawater.

The contaminated water c in the upper layer of the recovery cylinder 5 is pumped out by the recovery pump 12 and is returned to the recovery tank 13 of the oil recovery boat 2.
Stored in

Thus, in this embodiment, the air curtain 4 is formed on the closed sea area side of the oil fence 3 which is annularly extended so as to form the closed sea area 20 around the outflow drifting oil b. The secondary water flow generated by the curtain 4 and directed toward the suction port 5b of the oil recovery vessel 2 allows the outflow drifting oil b to flow into the suction port 5b. Can flow in.

In the oil recovery vessel 2, the mixed liquid of oil and seawater is forced into the recovery cylinder 5 to cause free separation, and the concentrated contaminated water c in the upper layer is lifted by the recovery pump 12 to the oil recovery vessel 2 for recovery. While stored in the tank 13, the lower seawater flows out of the system from the bottom opening of the recovery cylinder, so that the efficiency of the recovery operation of the outflowing drifting oil can be improved and automation can be performed.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) An air curtain is formed on the closed sea area side of the oil fence that is annularly extended to form a closed sea area around the spilled drifting oil, and the air fence is directed toward the suction port of the oil recovery vessel generated by the air curtain. Since the outflow drifting oil is caused to flow into the suction port with the next water flow, the outflow drifting oil can flow into the recovery cylinder of the oil recovery ship efficiently together with the seawater. (2) In an oil recovery vessel, the mixed liquid of oil and seawater is forced into the recovery cylinder, causing free separation, and the concentrated contaminated water in the upper layer is lifted up by the recovery pump and stored in the recovery tank. In addition, since the lower seawater flows out of the system through the bottom opening of the recovery cylinder, it is possible to increase the efficiency and automation of the recovery operation of the effluent drifting oil.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an oil fence with an air curtain and an oil spill recovery system using the oil fence as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Oil fence expansion ship 2 Oil recovery ship 3 Oil fence 4 Air curtain 5 Collection tank 5a Bottom opening 5b Suction port 6 Buoy 7 Wire 8 High pressure hose as air curtain formation means 9 Connection fitting 10 Compressor 11 Tube 12 Collection pump 13 Collection tank 20 Closed sea area a Secondary water stream b Oil drifting out c. Concentrated water

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An oil fence capable of generating a unidirectional secondary water flow in said closed sea area, wherein said oil fence is extendable so as to surround said oil flowing out to the sea to form a closed sea area. An oil fence with an air curtain, wherein forming means is provided on the oil fence. 2. An oil fence extension boat capable of extending the oil curtain with an air curtain, and an oil recovery boat capable of collecting the oil together with seawater from the closed sea area formed by the oil fence with the air curtain, The oil recovery vessel has a recovery cylinder having a suction port that opens into the closed sea area and a bottom opening, a recovery pump that can pump out the oil that is freely separated inside the recovery cylinder, and the recovery pump. The spilled oil recovery system using an oil fence with an air curtain according to claim 1, further comprising a recovery tank capable of storing the recovered oil.